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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · current · arm · suit · hide · cue · file · root

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. root — of a word
  5. suit — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — to fit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a plant
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a signal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — electric
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — for pool
  21. capital — money
  22. root — the cause
  23. current — happening now
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com